€2.6m bottle of Irish whiskey most expensive ever
THE composer of The Avengers theme tune has died.
Laurie Johnson passed away “peacefully in his sleep” at the age of 96.
He also created music for This Is Your Life which chronicled the lives of famous people and was originally fronted by Eamonn Andrews and then Michael Aspel.
Johnson’s death last week was announced by music publisher Bucks Music Group.
His family said: “It is with great sadness we have to announce the passing of British producer/ composer Laurie Johnson.
“He was dearly loved by many and is sorely missed by his wife Dot, daughter Sarah, son-in-law Richard and grandson Lawrence.”
Emerald Isle bottle
A 30-YEAR-OLD bottle of whiskey has become the most expensive ever sold at €2.6million.
Described as the rarest tripledistilled single malt in existence, the bottle of The Emerald Isle was bought by US collector Mike Daley.
Its eye-catching walnut case includes a single decanter, alongside a bespoke Faberge egg containing an emerald gem, a custom timepiece and a pair of Cohiba cigars.
Historically the most soughtafter bottles of the spirit have been Scotch whiskies, such as the Macallan, but the record sale represents a shift in luxury collectors’ interests, many of whom feel the Scotch market has become too crowded.
Mr Daly said: “Irish is the future of whiskey. I’m excited to be part of it, as a collector, but most importantly as a drinker.”
Heis one of the US’S most prolific collectors with several thousand bottles of Irish, American, and Scotch.
Jay Bradley, founder and CEO of The Craft Irish Whiskey Co said: “A bottle of The Emerald Isle becoming the most expensive whiskey or whisky ever sold is a monumental achievement.”